1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to plumbing fixtures water stop valves and more particularly to plumbing fixture water stop valves with rough-in-sleeve members designed to save plumbers considerable time in the installation of all types of plumbing fixtures such as those associated with cabinets, vanities, sinks, toilets, washers and dryers and other water fixtures during the rough-in stage of building constructions, both new and remodeling.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prior art conventional water stop valves used in the plumbing industry are normally not installed until the second trim-out stage and not during the first rough-in stage.
When new building construction, such as housing and commercial building structures, is involved, the building structure is framed, the roof and shingles are installed and the windows and doors are installed. Now the building is in the “dry” which constitutes the rough-in stage. The trim-out is the stage of building constructions after the drywalls, plaster walls or stucco walls and all the utilities have been roughed in, waiting for cabinets, electrical fixtures and plumbing fixtures to be installed so that painters can finish their work.
During this rough-in stage the plumber is called to come in to install all the drains for the toilets, vanities and sinks for bathrooms and kitchens and runs the ¾″ copper water pipe lines from the pressure reducing valve and hot water heaters to the bathrooms, kitchens and utility rooms or other areas. These copper lines are run within the walls, basement and crawl spaces with half-inch copper “Ts” or “Ls” (the half-inch pipe and main three quarter-inch water line forms a “T” shaped assembly or a 90 degree copper “L” shaped assembly) every place where a toilet, sink, ice maker, washing machine and all other fixtures requiring water will be placed. The plumber then stubs out the half-inch copper pipe about 6 to 8 inches from the stub wall at every “T” or 90 degree “L” and solders a half-inch copper end cap or piece thereon. There will be one for every toilet and two for every sink to accommodate the hot and cold water fixtures.
When the rough-in plumbing is complete, the plumber will turn on the water to the building structures at the water meter or main water cut-off valve and check for water leaks at each place on the copper pipes that have been soldered through out the entire building structure. After this is done and there are no water leaks, the plumber waits to be called back after the drywalls have been hung and bathroom vanities and kitchen cabinets have been installed. Once the plumber is called back during the trim-out stage, it is then that the plumber will shut-off water at the main water cut-off valve for the entire building structure and drain all pipes for setting the toilets, installing faucets, water stop valves, tub fixtures, shower fixtures and exterior water faucets or hydrants. The plumber will then go to each “T” or 90 degree “L” where there is a half-inch copper line stubbed out of the wall. If the “Ts” or “Ls” are in a vanity, the plumber will get on his or her back and slide into the vanity and cut off the 6 to 8 inch copper stub and make sure it is completely dry. Then the plumber will solder the water stop valve on the hot and cold water copper pipe lines for each vanity, kitchen sink, bathroom sinks or basins and pedestal type sink or basin. Next, the plumber will cut off the 6 to 8 inch copper stub for each toilet and make sure each is completely dry. Then the plumber will solder or weld a water stop valve to the copper pipe line for each toilet. After this, the plumber will install the water supply lines to the fixtures. Most of this work is performed in cramped areas within a vanity or cabinet and is very inconvenient, burdensome, and time consuming.
After all fixtures are in place, the plumber cuts the water back on for the entire building structures so the copper pipe lines can be checked for water leaks. If there are no leaks the plumber is finally finished (a lot of time spent).
Note that the drywall, cabinet and vanity installers have to cut a large hole in the drywall and the back of the vanities and the cabinets to accommodate the water stop valves. This is very inconvenient and is not esthetically pleasing for the drywalls, cabinets and vanities to have such large holes with the water stop valves disposed there through with large gaps being exposed. Such large gaps allow pests, such as insects and rodents, and unwanted cold air and hot air to come through during the winter and summer months.
Various types of water stop or under fixture valves are well known prior art devices. These types of under fixture stop valves are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,760,836 and 3,985,152. Another type of water stop valve described as an inline shut-off valve assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,913,245. Also, a water stop valve device that is connected to a sub-out line with an adapter plate and dish member is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,247.
Therefore it is to be understood that the current plumbing rough-in and trim-out system causes the plumber to make multiple trips to a building construction site during the installation of the copper water pipes, stubs, fixture water lines, drains, “T” or “L” pipe fittings, water stop valves, and the cutting off of pipe stubs. Also, the multiple cutting on and off of the main water to check for water leaks, the drying of the pipe lines and the soldering of the water stop valves, and the attaching and removal of valve handles from the water stop valve stems takes considerable time, very burdensome and inconvenient. Note that a plumber bids a job based on the number of drops (drains) plus materials and not based on the number of hours on the job.
It is understood that remodeling constructions also follows the same two stage process as discussed above, that is, the rough-in stage and then coming back later for the trim-out stage.
Although these prior art water stop or under fixture valve devices might be creative, and well-thought-out inventions that function well for their intended purposes at the time of their creation, but they do not teach a rough-in-sleeve member with an off-centered or off-set hole relative to a central axis thereof for receiving a water stop valve device with a pipe extension member there through to be attached to a stub out “T or “L” fitting as a unit. Note that the rough-in sleeve member can easily slide along and over the water stop valve devices with the entire water stop valve disposed and secured within the outer circumference of the rough-in sleeve member, which is a direct result of the above stated off-centered hole of the rough-in sleeve member. As discussed above, the prior art water stop or under fixture valves as they are installed today, that is, during the rough-in and trim-out stages are very time consuming, burdensome and inconvenient.